ANAHEIM – There's no way the Detroit Red Wings could escape to their desired spot in the Eastern Conference without one more potential classic playoff battle with the Ducks.

As it often has in their two-decade franchise history, the Ducks will have go through Detroit to make a run at the Stanley Cup after the Red Wings clinched the seventh seed with a 3-0 win at Dallas on Saturday night.

The Ducks? They wrapped up the 48-game lockout-marred sprint with a 5-3 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes in a meaningless game with Radim Vrbata getting a hat trick and Jason LaBarbera standing on his head in a 43-save performance.

Now it is on to much bigger things.

"We definitely wanted to put our best foot forward, but we stayed battling and that's what we needed to show," Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said. "We were going to work hard no matter what.

"We could have tied the game or done better, but we'll reset and get ready for Tuesday."

Dates and times won't be set until Sunday night. but the second-seeded Ducks figure to play host to Games 1 and 2 on Tuesday and Thursday. It will be the sixth time the Ducks and Wings collide in the postseason and the first since 2009.

The Ducks (30-12-6) couldn't get past them in the second round but did win series in 2003 and 2007 on the way to the two Stanley Cup Final appearances. "So maybe that's a good sign," winger Teemu Selanne said.

In what could be his final regular season, Selanne scored his 12th goal and 675th of his career of a nice spin-around feed from Patrick Maroon. The 42-year-old sniper was eagerly looking toward another playoff tilt with the Wings.

"There's no easy ones," Selanne said. "They have a great history and culture with that hockey club. It's an unbelievable thing that they have been (the) last 22 years in a row in the playoffs. That tells something about the organization."

Viktor Fasth made 26 saves but his night started off with a Vrbata goal eight-plus minutes in and a Kyle Chipchura shot that managed to slither through his pads. Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau stayed true to not naming his Game 1 starter.

"I've known for a while who's going to be the goalie," Boudreau said. "You're not going to know. You'll see Tuesday night."

Related Links

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.